When you don't have the words
by squidge86
Summary: Swanqueen AU. Regina has become a recluse after her disability progresses. Emma has run away to start a fresh with her 10 year old son. How can the trio help each other find their own happiness?
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Every morning starts exactly the same for the former mayor. Kathryn comes in at precisely seven am. She lets the black golden doodle out the back garden so he could do his business and have a run round. Noodle, wagged his tail excitedly as she saw the blonde come into the house. He knew when to leave Regina's room and wait at the front door for the blonde.

"Hey baby boy." Kat grinned and they had a quick snuggle and then brought out his filled food and water bowl. The blonde starts the coffee machine, pours a glass of freshly filtered water and grabs Regina a banana. Kathryn makes her way upstairs to the large, opulently designed dark bedroom and finds Regina lay awake in bed. While staring up at the ceiling with a pained expression on her face, she grunts as Kathryn opens the black out curtains. She squints as the rays hit her face and rubs her tired eyes.

Kathryn asked how she slept but like every day for the past year, Regina does not verbally respond. Regina winced as she sat up and moved the pillows that were down her side for comfort, out of the way. Regina scowls as Kathryn gives her the water and banana. She isn't hungry but she can't be bothered dealing with the incessant prompting to eat from her lifelong friend/full time carer. Once the banana and water were finished, Kathryn gives her the medication from the dosette box. For the past year now, her medication has to be stored in a dosette box and locked away in a safe only Kathryn and Ruby know.

Both Regina and Kathryn, Kat as she prefers to be known, are thirty four years old and have known each other since birth. Both sets of parents have been close friends for decades.

Regina hates the fact that she needs carers. Absolutely despises it in fact. However, she is in too much pain to fight Kathryn this morning and far too tired. Regina transfers into her Quickie wheelchair that was placed next to her luxurious king size bed. Regina scowled at the frame she has to use to help her up in bed and to balance, as she got into her chair. Luckily the room was large enough that she was able to easily turn and navigate around in her chair to access everywhere.

She was still living in her childhood home, well mansion. It was far too big for Regina's needs but she didn't care. She was certainly not going to live in some sort of supported living dwelling with a load of old people, she thought to herself with distaste. Her parents made sure her home was adapted with everything she needed. This included through floor lifts so as no area was left out of reach for the ex mayor.

With her perma-scowl in place she pushed herself to her en-suite bathroom to make use of the facilities. Once relived, Regina opened the door again and with a nod of her head, she pointed Kathryn to the bath. Kathryn smiled and was extremely grateful that Regina had started to show a little more care in her personal hygiene. The angry brunette would at least wash most days and was starting to have a shower or bath at least once or twice a week. Kat thought she was going to have to maybe blackmail her to just wash. A few times the thought of putting the hose on her did come up. Luckily for Regina she never really considered it... for too long anyway.

Kathryn, as usual, was talking to Regina and telling her all about her night. She hated to be silent too long and hoped one day Regina will finally speak properly and tell her to shut the hell up. She had been mute to everyone for around a year now. Other than when she was alone with Noodle, her therapy dog. She would then say a few commands but nothing more than a word or two. She just couldn't face talking anymore. Some days the crippling weight of her depression and anxiety made her think she would never speak again. Regina certainly didn't want to be around people. However, Kathryn her full time carer and Ruby her part time one, made sure she was well looked after and safe.

Kathryn helped get Regina undressed and into the bath, where warm bubbles were waiting for her. Regina sat on the seat and pressed the remote to lower her into the water so she was half submerged. Regina sighed at the strong lavender smell that permeated the air. Days of having a scolding hot shower and bath were long gone as they would only exasperate her condition. Reluctantly she had to do with barely above luke warm baths.

The warm water, bath salts and lavender oil were helping to relieve some of the stiffness in her legs. But the pain in the base of her back was feeling so prominent. She had to wriggle to find a position that would be the least painful. Kathryn put the bell on the side of the bath for her.

"I'll just be in the bedroom or the kitchen. Ring that once you are ready to come out or need any help, okay?"

Regina closed her eyes and gave a barely there nod as she managed to find a position that was just about okay on her back.

Kathryn left the room and went to work on changing the bedding. Regina opened her eyes again after a few minutes and looked up at the ceiling. She still struggled believing this was her life now, a full time wheelchair user with no job and no hope for the future. She pinched her thigh when she felt a lump in her throat and scolded herself for even thinking about crying. At that point Noodle pushed open the door and pattered across the marble to Regina. He placed his head over the bath tub and licked Regina's face, sensing she was upset. Regina let out half a laugh and sob as he did that. She wiped her eyes with the back of her wrist and then gently stroked his soft curls on the top of his head.

Noodle was one of the very few reasons she was still here.


	2. Chapter 2

Regina soaked in the bath for a good half an hour, the warm water and salts helped eased her stiff aching joints. Using her favourite Lavender shampoo, Regina lathered her hair up and washed her body with a matching scented soap. However, even that simple act tired her out. She was having a particularly bad time with fatigue at the moment and even a simple task of washing herself left her wanting a nap. This left Regina feeling frustrated and sad. She was a woman who would work twelve hour days and live off five hours sleep a night (if she was lucky to sleep that long.) She slapped the water in frustration and rang the bell next to her.

As Noodle heard the bell he knew that meant Kathryn or Ruby was coming so he ran off barking to get them. He met Kat halfway on the stairs and led the blonde to a depressed and tired looking Regina. "Are you ready to come out?" She asked and Regina kept her gaze down and nodded. Kathryn removed the plug and let the scented water run away. Grabbing the remote she lifted the bath seat up and helped her out of the bath. She got her dried and dressed, Regina struggling to do most of it with how tired she was.

Noodle sat next to her throughout, giving her hand a nudge and a lick when he could sense Regina was getting stressed and upset. The brunette didn't put up any fight with Kathryn helping her and as usual was her silent self. Once downstairs Regina placed her at the dining table and brought her breakfast of porridge and orange juice out. Regina slowly ate her unappealing breakfast and propped her head up with her hand. Kathryn placed her own breakfast on the table and sat next to her.

"Ruby said you struggled with your food last night? Were you not hungry?" Kathryn asked softly. Regina gave her a shrug. "Are you in more pain than usual?" Regina gave another shrug. She was far too exhausted to make any type of conversation with her life long best friend now carer. "I'm guessing the fatigue is still kicking your ass hard at the moment then?" She asked and Regina looked up to give her a glare that said shut up right now. Kathryn let out a soft chuckle, "Okay, okay, I'll shut up." Nothing about Regina scared her, it never had. As Mayor, Regina could make grown men cower with just a look but it never worked on Kathryn since they have known each other from being babies.

After breakfast she got Regina comfy on the huge black leather L shaped couch and gave Regina the remote for the huge seventy inch 4K smart Tv. Regina had bought it a few months ago to try and make her feel something, but it didn't excite her like it would have a number of years ago. Regina had loved shopping and having all the most up to date gadgets and electronics.

The exhausted woman pulled her legs up and was propped up by pillows as she turned the tv on. She put it on the Food Network channel and closed her eyes so she could rest. She gently patted the couch and Noodle jumped up to sit next to the woman. Noodle placed his head onto her lap and nudged her hand so she could place it on his head. She obliged with a tired smile and even though her hand was still, he was happy with that.

Two hours of dozing for Regina and housekeeping for Kathryn later, the blonde sat next to Noodle on the couch. "I have a date tomorrow night." Kathryn casually mentioned but Regina noticed she was nervous about it.

Regina arched her eyebrow in slight surprise and in a way to ask her to continue.

"Yeah, with Frederick Midas." Kathryn admitted with an unlike her, shy smile. Regina reached out for her Ipad and wrote down on her writing app, "The teacher?"

Kathryn read the note and nodded, "Yeah the primary school teacher. I was having dinner at Granny's and he asked if he could sit with me as there was nowhere else to sit."

"What happened?"

"Well we got talking about what we were eating at first. He seemed really shy but pleasant enough. I did have to lead the conversation quite a bit to begin with though."

"He sounds riveting."She typed with a roll of her eyes. Kathryn laughed as she read that and gave her hand a very gentle and playful swat.

"Fred was a little shy but the longer we talked the more confident he became. He's very sweet and with a great sense of humour." Kathryn smiled fondly as she reminisced about last night.

Regina gave her a small smile as she watched the emotions on Kat's face. She knew Kat had not had a date in well over a year. Regina knew that was her fault, caring for her full time didn't leave much time for dating or socialising. Especially the amount of stress she puts her under.

"I'm happy for you." Regina wrote to her. "Finish early tomorrow. Leave me a sandwich and a drink and ill be fine until Ruby comes. Remember I have my care link pendant if I need help."

Kathryn shook her head, "I will be fine Regina and I don't want to leave you on your own just because I'm going on a date."

Regina gave her a stern look and typed out, "You're going early end of discussion."

Kathryn rolled her eyes at the stubborn brunette. "It's very generous of you. But I will see if Ruby will come early."

Regina huffed at her wishes being ignored and at the reminder that she needed constant support. Her eyes went back to the TV and tried to concentrate on the Chinese food programme. She missed cooking a lot. From the methodical preparations to experimenting with various flavours and techniques, she loved everything about it. However, now she couldn't use the oven safely because of the wheelchair. Then the fatigue can stop her preparing for too long.

Kat saw Regina as she shut down from her and let out a quiet sigh. The blonde put her arm around her shoulders and Regina shrugged her off abruptly not wanting the contact. Kat respected her wishes and removed her arm. Regina put her legs over the edge of the couch and got back into her chair. Regina was feeling angry and frustrated and needed to be away from her. Once Regina got to the patio doors and after a struggle to get them open she pushed her way out to the patio. Noodle followed her obediently and ran out to the grass as Regina threw a ball using the ball chucker. It didn't go very far but the device allowed it to go much further than without using it. Noodle didn't care and he kept running about and barking in excitement. Her therapy dog was pretty much the only thing that made her really smile anymore.

Kathryn stood up and went to make a start on lunch, she was almost used to Regina's moods. But it still hurt to see her best friend so broken. Regina was always a private person, many people viewed her as cold because of it. She was never like that with Kat and Ruby though. The woman was warm, protective and playful with her best friends. The woman she was caring for was a million miles away from the woman she grew up with. Kat had to have faith that she would appear again but the more time passed the less likely it was becoming.


	3. Chapter 3

Emma stood panting in the middle of her bedroom. Her clothes ripped and in disarray on her body. Killian was lay unconscious on the floor with a bruise starting to form around his eye already. She was frozen in place unable to move her limbs as she stared down at her knock out boyfriend. Her hand covered her own gasp a few minutes later as she was finally able to react. She immediately grabbed two hold all bags from her wardrobe and packed what she could of her clothes, laptop and important documents. As silent as she could, she crept into her ten year old son's tiny bedroom and packed a bag for him. Clothes, a few books and teddy's and his adaptive equipment went into the other holdall. Once both bags and her satchel were on her back she carefully picked up her sleeping son and left the tiny, flat for good. At that point she really didn't care if Killian was dead in the other room, she needed to leave that toxicity behind and not look back.

Emma had been driving for around four hours at this point. She went in no particular direction other than away from everything she knew in Boston. Two pit stops to fill the car with petrol were the only deviations she took from the plan of leaving her abusive life. Her stomach gave out a loud rumble as she passed a sign in The middle of nowhere, welcoming her to Storybrooke.

'What a weird name for a town.' She thought to herself with a wrinkle of her nose. She kept rubbing at her eyes and opened a window to try keep her awake. A few minutes later it was seven am and she was driving through a old fashioned looking town centre. The blonde noticed it was tiny and not a chain store in sight. A neon sign for 'Granny's Diner' caught her eye and since Emma knew she couldn't possibly drive anymore and stay safe, pulled up outside the establishment. Henry started to stir in the back seat, a blanket had been wrapped around him as he slept through everything. Emma got in the back seat and stroked his mop of brown hair. "Henry...I need you to wake up for me." She told him with a soft, loving voice. The lump under the cover moved and he pulled the blanket off him. "Ma? Where am I? This is not my bed." He said as he felt the car seat around him. Henry was registered blind but still could see general blurred shapes around him and if he used his magnifier, could see up to a few inches away from his face.

"We are in the car, bud. "

"Why?" Henry sat up as he rubbed his eyes and yawned.

"We needed to leave Boston. We are going on an adventure, its going to be our new start."

"With Killian?" He asked quietly, worried about what her answer was going to be.

"No, not with Killian, I've left him." Henry smiled and sighed with relief at that news. He really didn't like the man

"Good. It can be like old times again." Henry grinned and took his seatbelt off. Emma gave him his cane and he got out of the car. Emma held the back of his head and gave him a tender kiss to his forehead.

"I love you so much, Henry and I promise things will be so much better from now on." Emma stroked his soft hair and stood up straight. "There is a Diner just in front of us, I don't know about you but I am starving."

Henry enthusiastically agreed with his mother and put his hand on her back while he was led to the old fashioned looking restaurant and used the cane to guide his path.

A bell jingled above their hand once they walked in. "Well hello new people." Emma closed hte door behind them and turned to face the person behind the welcoming voice. A brunette woman with below shoulder length hair was walking up to them. She was wearing the tiniest black shorts Emma had ever seen and her white shirt was buttoned then tied at the waist so her toned stomach was on show. The waitress was sporting a huge smile showing off her white teeth. Emma couldn't help but noticed how gorgeous the woman was.

"My name is Ruby and I'll be your waitress this morning." Ruby greeted them warmly however was looking a tad surprised to see them.

"Hi there I'm Henry, nice to meet you." Henry beamed and used the hand that was on Emma's back, to wave at Ruby.

"Well aren't you just the most adorable and well mannered little dude." Ruby praised and looked at Henry then Emma. "Are you guys eating in or taking out?"

Before Emma had the chance to even think about an answer, Henry replied, "Eating in, definitely. Do you have any booths?"

"Oh yes and I have the best booth just for you two." Ruby led them both to the back of the restaurant. Ruby made sure to push any chairs in so there was no obstacles in Henry's path. But it was pretty clear and wide spaces between tables anyway.

As the pair sat on opposite sides of the booth Henry looked closer at the seating. "The seats are my favourite colour, that is so cool!" he remarked and turned to face Emma again.

"No way! Red is my favourite colour too." Ruby told him. "All my friends call me Red."

"That's so cool!" He giggled at the nickname. "Do you like Ma's jacket then?" He asked pointing to the red leather jacket Emma was wearing.

"I love it." Ruby admired the jacket and not at all the gorgeous blonde who was wearing it.

Emma gave a tired smile at Ruby and missed the way she was looked at. Emma couldn't stop the yawn that left her lips. "Oh excuse me."

"Hey its no problem. Are you visiting anyone here, looks like you need some rest." Ruby commented, noticing how exhausted and pale the woman looked.

"No we are just passing through, it's been a long drive."

"Well we own a B&B and we have a few vacancies if you need somewhere to crash?"

Emma paused to think about the offer. On one hand she wanted to get far away from Killian and Boston as possible. On the other hand though she was exhausted and it would not be safe to drive a second longer without some rest.

"Oh please Ma, can we stay!?" He asked her with his best puppy dog expression. With a soft chuckle she nodded her head.

"Yeah we can stay, but I'm going to need a few hours sleep Hen."

"That's fine, I'll keep myself busy I promise." His smile was what got her up each morning. He was the only shining light in her miserable existence.

"Alright then we will take a room."

"Brilliant, I will make sure it is ready for you by the time you finish breakfast. Speaking off lets fill those bellies." Ruby walked over to the counter and got them menus. She gave Emma one and gave Henry a large print, multiple page menu. "Do you need any help with the menu buddy?" Ruby offered.

"No thanks Red, Ma should have my magnifier." Emma took his hand held magnifier out of her satchel and gave it her son who proceeded to lift the menu close to his face and read with the magnifier.

Emma was impressed and touched not just with the rare finding large print menus but with how normal Ruby was treating her son. People usually ignored him or tried to do too much for him instead of going with his lead of what he could or couldn't do. Henry was a highly independent little boy who had such an enthusiasm for life that didn't match Emma's.

"What can I get you both to drink then while you choose?" Ruby asked them both.

"Can we get a jug of water and an orange juice please."

"Yeah can I have an orange juice as well please?" Henry asked briefly lifting his head away from the menu to ask hen went back to reading.

"Coming right up." Ruby left the pair and got their drinks ready. Before she took the drinks over she rang the B and B next door and asked Tink to get a room ready. Ruby placed the tray down and set the drinks out.

"You guys need more time or are you ready to order?"

"Can I get the waffles with nuttela, ice cream bananas and maple syrup please." Henry asked politely.

Emma chuckled and shook her head, "I have no idea where he puts it."

"He's a growing boy and looks like he's got a lot of energy to burn it off." Ruby smiled and wrote the order down. "And what about you..." She lingered unsure of her name.

"It's Emma and I will have the chocolate chip pancakes with berries."

"Good choice, Emma. It's my grandma who cooks and her pancakes are to die for." Ruby told her with a wink.

"Well I can't wait to try them." Emma said with a genuine smile.

Ruby sauntered off and gave the order to Granny. The place was quiet since it had only just opened for the day. There were three other older gentlemen in the place, two separate at the counter and one at a table in front of the window.

"I like it here already." Henry told her with a smile.

"Oh yeah, kid?"

"Yeah, Red is cool and oh gosh I'm so excited for these waffles." He giggled and wriggled in his seat. "Did you bring my tablet?"

"Of course, buddy." Emma took his tablet out of her satchel and gave it to her son.

"Thanks, Ma." Henry said and started to play an episode of the old series of teenage mutant ninja turtles.

Emma leant back against the seat and watched her son fondly enjoying a TV show she loved herself as a kid.

Emma jolted in her seat as Ruby placed the plates down. She must have fallen asleep sat up she thought.

"Sorry sweetheart, I didn't mean to scare you." Ruby said with a warm smile and gave a squeeze to her shoulder. Emma tensed at the contact at first but her anxiety lowered as she looked up at the kind woman and saw no threat there.

"No its okay." She gave a small smile in response then looked at the towering plates of food. "Oh wow... are these like super size portions."

Ruby chuckled and shook her head, "No these are standard portions but we will pack anything and give you a doggy bag if you can't finish."

Henry turned the episode off and took photos of both of their meals. He zoomed in on the photos and gasped. "This looks amazing."

Emma smiled and agreed with him. "Thanks Ruby."

"If you two need anything at all just give me a shout. Oh and your room is ready." Ruby gave them both a grin and walked off.

"Well dig in kid." Emma grabbed her knife and fork and dove right in. The food was like an orgasm in her mouth. Emma was in agreement with Henry, she was liking Storybrooke already. 


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

Henry and Emma were given a lovely and quaint twin bed room with their own en suite. Ruby had packed their half eaten breakfasts for them and Emma left them on the dressing table. Ruby had also gave them a couple of bottles of water and orange for their room.

Henry sat on the end of his chosen bed and bounced. "This is so comfy!" He said in awe. Emma chuckled at his reaction and got into some comfy clothes that she could sleep in. Her jeans were far to tight sleep well in.

"That it is, Bud. Now Henry," Emma knelt down in front of him so that they were the same height. She gently rubbed the top of his arms as she spoke, "Now Henry, do not leave this room while I take a nap. And especially under no circumstances do you open that front door to anyone. Wake me up and I'll answer the door. Do you understand?"

"I do Ma. I promise I will wake you up if anyone knocks on the door." Emma stroked his mop of brown hair that desperately needed a cut then kissed his forehead.

"You are my perfect boy. I love you so, so much."

"I love you too, Ma." Henry smiled at his mother.

Pretty much as soon as her head hit the memory foam pillow she was asleep.

 _ **Emma is in a dark tunnel, she can feel the stony pathway under her bare feet as they rip the skin. But she needs to keep running as fast as she can. Killian's menacing voice is echoing around the pitch black tunnel that had no end in sight as she tries to escape him.**_

" _ **You stupid bitch!"**_

" _ **Useless fucking whore.."**_

" _ **You've never been anything and you never will be."**_

" _ **I wouldn't have to hurt you if you just did as I fucking said..."**_

" _ **It's your fault I drink."**_

" _ **You wont survive without me...no one is going to love you like I do.."**_

 _ **His voice gets louder and louder and she can't run fast enough. Emma feels a rough hand on her shoulder as she feels him catch up to her.**_

Emma wakes up with a loud gasp to see Henry hovering over her, shaking her shoulder.

"Ma! Ma! Wake up, you're having another nightmare." He pleads to her. Emma was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath. She felt her heart beat as if it was going to burst out of her chest. She shot up and frantically looked around the room in fear and confusion until she remembered that she was in the B & B.

Jumping out of bed she threw herself at the door to made sure it was locked and secure.

She did the same with the window and also checked the bathroom in a panicked state. "Ma! You're scaring me, there's no one here." Emma dropped to her knees and looked under the beds and once she realised Killian hadn't found them, she could let out a sigh of relief. Her heart was still beating hard against her chest but she was beginning to become calmer.

Emma pulled Henry into a crushing hug, "I'm sorry Henry, it was just a bad dream I'm alright now." She told him trying to keep as calm as possible.

"It's okay, Ma." He tried to be strong for his mum and hugged her back even if it was crushing him. "I will protect you, Ma. I will always protect you." The ten year old promised. She let out a bitter sweet laugh at that. Her son should not be the one to protect her she thought.

"You are my hero, Hen. We will protect each other." They continued to hug each other for a few minutes before Henry scrunched his nose up.

"Ma, you really need a shower, you stink." Henry pulled away from his mother and wafted the air in front of his nose.

His mother laughed and looked down to see her clothes were drenched in sweat. "You're right Hen. I won't be long." She gave his head a kiss then grabbed her stuff for a shower.

One long and scalding shower later, Emma walked back into the bedroom feeling a bit more normal. Henry was dancing to the Foo Fighters that he had playing on his tablet. Emma smiled fondly at her son and took his hand to dance along with him.

Dancing was one of his favourite activities since over the past five years. She wished she could have afforded lessons for him but the bounty hunting job was never stable enough to have much extra cash. And what she did have spare she hid away in a secret bank account to be able to finally escape her now ex boyfriend. Plus Killian always thought it was too 'faggy' for a boy to do over the years they were together. Emma swore to herself that once they were somewhere safe and stable, Henry would go to regular dance lessons.

They danced for a few more songs before Henry turned the music off. "Can we explore the town, Ma?" Henry asked with a wide eyed eagerness. Emma hesitated about what she wanted to do, whether to stay for a bit or to keep moving, making sure she was as far as possible from Boston.

However Henry's expression broke her, "Sure we can, Hen. It looks like a nice day, grab your coat and your shoes. Then we can go see if Ruby is still working for any suggestions on where to go."

Henry used his cane to guide him back to the chair where he left his coat and shoes. It was three in the afternoon but they were still full from breakfast.

The diner was busier now than it was when they were last there first thing in the morning. Ruby smiled as she noticed the new people return. "Hi guys, how is the room for you, did you get any sleep?"

"The room is great thanks and I managed to get some sleep luckily."

"The beds are the best and so bouncy." Henry giggled.

Ruby laughed at his description, "Yeah we have just replaced all the beds recently so they are all fresh. Are you guys hungry?"

Emma shook her head, "Hell no, we are still so full, even the human dustbin over there. We were hoping to explore the town and wondering if you had any suggestions?"

"Well to be honest, not much." Ruby chuckled and shrugged at the pair. "But if you guys hang fire a few minutes, I finish my shift so I can show you around if you want?"

"Yes please, Red!" Henry said with an excited yelp, his grin getting even bigger.

Emma smiled as she watched her son get so excited. Ruby didn't give off a bad vibe so she decided to throw caution to the wind and agreed to the tour.

The friendly brunette supplied them all with a free milkshake and started their tour on the main street. She gave a brief overview of all the independent stores they had on offer and a bit about the history of Storybrooke Granny had told her growing up.

After about an hour Ruby walked them to the beach. Henry gasped as he heard that they were at a beach. "Ma! Please can I paddle in the sea. Oh please, please, please!" He begged her.

"Hen, it's going to be freezing." She said with a disbelieving laugh.

"But I've never been to the beach before, oh please Ma!" Henry pleaded to his mum.

"Fine, fine but don't complain to me when your feet fall off from frostbite." She warned and tickled his sides. Henry squealed and wriggled away with a grin. Ruby laughed at the pair, she loved that little boy's positive energy.

"My two best friends and I used to go swimming regularly in there. We would have regular competitions between us about who could last the longest. Even in the summer it isn't that warm most of the time." Ruby explained to the pair with a fond smile on her lips.

Emma shook her head as she grinned, "You and your friends sound crazy. What are they called?"

"Regina and Kathryn. "

"Do they still live here?" Emma asked, noticing the bittersweet smile on her face.

"Yeah they both do." She nodded. "Regina used to always win."

"Well there is no way in hell you are going to see me get in that water." Emma answered with grin on her face.

"We will see, Emma. We will see." Ruby gave her a wink and the eager pair took their shoes and socks off. Ruby asked to take Henry's hand and they made their way to the water. Emma was a few feet away from the shore.

"Aghh! That's cold!" Henry squealed as he tiptoed into the sea, but he was laughing hysterically as he made loud noises while trying to get used to the cold.

"I warned you!" Emma called out as she took her phone out and recorded him. Ruby jumped a few times to splash themselves but didn't let go of his hand.

"Red!" The boy giggled and reached down to splash the water at her.

"Come on Ma, you quickly get used to the temperature." Henry tried to encourage his mum but with no luck.

"Yeah come in Emma." Red suggested with a smirk and signalled her to come over with her finger and a wink.

Emma smirked and shook her head. "Absolutely no way."

Henry gave her an exaggerated pout and the best puppy dog expression. "That's not going to work on me bud, not this time."

The ten year old's face cracked and he started to giggle. Henry gave up on trying to encourage Emma and concentrated on playing with Ruby in the water, never going high then his mid shin.

Twenty minutes was enough for Henry and they made their way back out and onto the sand to make sandcastles with their hands.

Emma took a few photos of Ruby and Henry playing as if they knew each other forever. She felt a tug in her heart and in that moment she decided they would stay at least a few more days and see where this took them.


	5. Chapter 5

Henry bombarded Ruby with questions about the town and about its history. Ruby was all to happy to try and answer everything he wanted to know. Emma was fairly quiet as they spoke but she loved listening to Henry talk and appear so happy.

"Emma, what is it that you do?" Ruby asked as she assisted Henry in building his giant sandcastle.

"I'm...well was a bounty hunter."

"Really? Wow that's so cool. Are you not doing it anymore?" Ruby was fascinated about that revelation.

"I er...don't currently have a job." She explained, not wanting to reveal too much.

"Well we are looking for a Deputy Sherriff at the moment. It won't be anywhere near as exciting as bounty hunting but it pays pretty well and you will get health Insurance and dental. That is unless you were headed somewhere specific?" She offered the blonde. Ruby didn't know what it was about the blonde that made her make the offer. She just had a really good feeling about her and she was rarely ever wrong when it came to her instinct.

"Oh Ma please! Please can you take the job, I love it here already." Henry pleaded with her.

Emma was frozen by the offer, the incredibly kind and out of this world offer.

"Hen..." She started, at a loss of what to say, looking like she was in a state of shock.

"Oh Ma, Ruby said there's a school here as well and we can stay at the B & B until we get a place." Henry was looking clumsy as he made his way over to his mother. "Please, please!" He pleaded again and wrapped his arms around her.

Emma could only hold him tight as he got more and more emotional, "Shhh Hen, calm down for me. I need to think about this okay and I may not even get the job if I do apply."

Ruby felt a little guilty for causing such an emotional reaction out of Henry. "There is no rush at all, trust me it is a very quiet town. The post has been empty for six months after he retired so there really is no rush at all."

Emma listened and nodded, "I will think about it."

Ruby gave her a warm smile and rubbed Henry's back. All he could comprehend was that if they stayed here they would have no reason to go back to Killian in Boston. His mother's nightmares will stop and she will finally be happy.

"Henry, give me tonight to think about it okay? Then maybe I will ask about the post. Is that a deal?" Emma said slowly.

Henry gave her a bright smile, his eyes shimmering with moisture from his unshed tears. "Oh darling," Emma stroked a chubby cheek with her fingers. "I promise you we will be happy and settled, alright?"

Henry nodded and gave his mum a kiss to her cheek. Emma felt heartbroken and incredibly guilty that she was causing pain to her only joy in the world.

"I'm afraid I'm going to have to leave you two, I have to get to my other work." Ruby explained and ruffled Henry's hair as he smiled more.

"I live in room four and I'll be back about half nine. So if you need anything just knock on or ring down to the front desk. It has been so cool to hang out with you two, a definite nice change. Want me to walk you back to Main Street?"

"No it's alright Ruby and thank you for the tour and well everything." Emma told her sincerely.

"Yeah thanks Red, I'll see you later." Henry got off Emma's lap and hugged Ruby tight. The waitress was just as enthusiastic with the hug.

"Not a problem at all. Well I have to dash or Regina will give me the stink eye if I'm even a second late." She said playfully to Henry.

Henry giggled, "What is your other job, Regina is one of your best friends right?"

"Yeah she is. Unfortunately she has M.S and is unable to do a lot of the things she used to be able to do. So I help out in the evenings and two weekends a month. Our other best friend helps during the day on weekdays."

"Oh no, that must be frustrating that she can't do things she used to be able to do." Henry said as he tried to think of a way to help. "Maybe she could do new things then!? Things she didn't do before she got sick."

Ruby smiled at this positive outlook, "That's a great idea Henry, but it may take a bit of time to sell that to Regina. Right I really do have to go, be good you two." She teased as she put her shoes back on and left the pair.

The next day Emma met with David who was the Sherriff and he was eager to offer her the job after hearing about her bounty hunting days. Emma asked for a few days to think about the offer. During those days of contemplation David introduced Emma to his wife, Mary Margaret and they got on like a house on fire. Emma and Henry regularly met up to spend time with Ruby before she had to work and she grew fonder of the area.

After having the weekend to think about it, Emma accepted the job offer on Monday morning. Henry couldn't physically get any more excited about the news. Henry was to be enrolled by Wednesday and would have his own support so he could attend the mainstream classes. Since he already had his own equipment to support him, there were not any costly adaptations that needed to do before he could start. Henry was ecstatic to start school and even more excited to learn Mary Margaret would be his teacher.

On Tuesday Emma and Henry had dinner at the Diner. The Diner was busier than usual so by the time Regina had finished she was going to be late to get to Regina's. Emma offered to drive her over and Ruby gave her a bear hug. "You're a lifesaver." Ruby grinned and took her apron off then grabbed her bag and coat.

They got into Emma's bug and Ruby gave Emma directions. She pulled up outside Regina's mansion and Emma gasped, "Woah...Regina lives here? What did she used to do to be able to live in a place like this?" Emma was in awe at the size.

"Regina used to be the Mayor of Storybrooke, but she resigned about three years ago." Ruby explained with a sad sigh. She shook her head and gave Emma a smile. "She's super rich in her own right though, made some amazing investments. She's insane with numbers and the stock market and stuff. I haven't got a clue myself." She chuckled. "Anyway thanks for the lift Emma."

"Yeah, it's no problem." Emma smiled and reached back to give Ruby's hand a squeeze in support. "If you ever need to talk or anything, you know where I am." She offered seeing the sad glint in Ruby's eyes earlier.

"Thank you." Ruby accepted and squeezed her hand back.

"Maaaa...I need to pee, I can't hold it much longer." Henry whined from the back seat.

"I asked if you needed the toilet before we left." Emma said incredulously.

"But I didn't need it then." He whined again and wriggled awkwardly in his seat.

Emma looked over to Ruby, "Do you think Regina would mind if he quickly uses her bathroom?"

Ruby hesitated a moment but then nodded. "It will be fine I'm sure. I do have to say though; she's kind of become a recluse since her health got worse." She explained to the pair. "Also she doesn't talk." She looked at the clock on the dash and swore under her breath once she saw she was a few minutes late. "We need to get going in." They all got out of the car and Henry put her hand on Emma's back to let him lead her and used his cane. "You're not scared or allergic to dogs are you?"

Henry's face lit up and shook his head, "I love dogs!"

"Great, because she has a therapy dog and he will be at the door waiting for me." She smiled and she opened the door to see Noodle wagging his tail frantically in the middle of the foyer. "See what I mean." Ruby smiled and gave Noodle a stroke to his head.

Forgetting all about needing the bathroom, Henry launched himself at Noodle and wrapped his arms around his neck and cuddled him. "Oh my god his fur his so soft." Noodle loved the attention and licked happily at the strangers face. Noodle barked in excitement as Henry squealed in joy at being covered in dog kisses. "What is your name?" He asked the dog and felt around for his collar to try and read the tag.

"He is called Noodle." Henry giggled and kept stroking him.

"You have the coolest name, Noodle. I'm Henry." He introduced himself to the dog. Ruby grinned at the pair. She wasn't sure who was more excited to see who.

"The bathroom is your third door on the right, I'm going to tell Regina I'm here but I think she may have already gathered that." She told Emma and looked back down to see Noodle on his back and Henry giving him belly rubs and cooing over him.

"Well I think his bladder may explode before he leaves Noodle alone." She joked and watched Ruby leave to another room on the ground floor.


	6. Chapter 6

Kathryn had left at five pm as usual and Regina was sat on the couch with her legs up. She was propped up with her cushions and had her laptop resting on her lap. Beethoven was coming from speakers all around the room. Physio had been particularly strenuous for the former mayor and she ended up napping on and off for the last few hours.

Regina woke up and adjusted herself in her seat so she could sit up better. She detested the fact she had naps now. The woman used to work off a few hours sleep each night and she would be fine. But now she was lying down more than she was sat up. Every day she was frustrated with every single thing she couldn't do.

Currently her laptop was on the frequently visited gambling site. The frustration and depression she was going through was why she escaped through gambling. Luckily for Regina she was incredibly wealthy, and could easily live off the interest on one of her investments alone for the rest of her life and be fine. She had an incredible talent for analysing data and forecasting. Researching about different teams and different horses gave her something to do. Regina got a buzz waiting for the result of whatever bet she had put on. It was the only real excitement she felt in her life. She honestly didn't care that much if she won or not, it was about the anticipation.

However she knew Kathryn and Ruby would try and stop her so she kept that part of her life from her friends. That was her little secret that she had control over. It was mainly at night when she was alone that she made the bets usually for the day. She couldn't do much without them, there was no way she could survive without them. Regina loved her friends dearly but she would trade all her wealth for one day to be able to walk out of the house and go wherever she wanted to.

Regina shook her head as she tried to ignore that longing feeling. She noticed that it was six thirty and Ruby wasn't here yet. After quickly logging out and wiping clean her internet history, Regina started to panic. Six thirty five and Ruby still hadn't come in. The Latina picked up her phone and checked for any messages but there was nothing. Anxiety started to rise inside of Regina.

What if she had been in an accident?

What if she's seriously hurt and there isn't a thing I could do?

She's had enough of me hasn't she?

I'm a burden to them. I stop them from living their lives. They hate me and I don't blame them, I hate myself too.

Tears had started to fall down her cheeks without her realising it. She jumped as she finally heard the front door. Regina immediately transferred to her wheelchair that was next to the couch but then froze as she heard a child's voice. Her hair was up in a messy bun, she had no make-up on and hadn't had a wash in a few days.

Who the hell was with Ruby? Why has she brought a stranger to my house when she knows full well I don't want to see anyone.

Regina was panicking for a different reason now. She didn't want anyone to see her. Regina was stuck to the spot and didn't know what to do as she could hear the excited squeals of a child and Noodle playing.

Ruby walked in to the living room to find Regina in the middle of a panic attack. "Gina!" She said in shock and rushed to kneel in front of her. "Gina I need you to concentrate on my voice okay." She said gently and took her hands that were tugging at her own collar as Regina felt she couldn't breathe properly.

"We are going to do the breathing exercise, everything is going to be just fine." She said in her most calming voice. "Square breathing okay, now follow me. Breath in for two seconds...hold for two...exhale for two...hold for two...copy how I'm breathing."

Regina was looking at her desperately and was struggling to copy the breathing but she eventually was able to follow the pattern.

"Sweetie you are doing so well. I want you to do it all for three seconds now." Ruby asked her and stroked her fingers, knowing that was a way to help calm her down.

Regina finally was able to breathe normally and she pulled Ruby into a hug. She felt like bursting into tears but she forced herself not to.

"Hey, hey what's wrong, can you write it down for me?" Ruby cooed and stroked her back. The younger woman was shocked at the sudden hug but she certainly wasn't going to complain. It had been so long since Regina had initiated a hug.

Shaking her head, Regina pulled back and wiped at her eyes.

"Alright sweetie there is no pressure." Ruby took her hand again and ran her fingers along hers. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

Regina shook her head again and let Ruby continue her calming touch. It was something Ruby had done for years to her. She especially loved it after they had intimate moments and they were basking in the afterglow. But that was a lifetime ago that hurt too much to think about.

Regina was startled out of her thoughts as a young boy ran in chasing after Noodle. Noodle skidded to a halt in front of Regina and licked her free hand. Regina stroked his head slowly and smiled at her big black dog.

"Hi there, I'm Henry." The boy greeted with a dazzling smile and put his hand out for Regina. She noticed his eye line was quite with her eyes, it was more to the side of her face. Regina pulled her hand away from Noodle and shook his small hand briefly while Henry gave a firm shake. She looked over to Ruby in confusion to ask who he was. However, he answered before Ruby got chance to.

"I'm the new sheriff's son. We moved here last week. Ruby told us you can't speak but that's okay. I can't see, well I can see a bit but I am registered blind. See this," He lifted up his cane. "..this helps me about so I don't fall off kerbs or down big holes." His smile never faltered as he chatted away. "I can see things with magnifiers up close and also I have a programme where it can read words. Do you have that so you can speak? If not you really should. It will make talking to me a lot easier and quicker as well. But I don't mind reading what you write. Would you like to see my tablet with all my software on it?"Henry asked as he took his backpack off and pulled his tablet out.

Even though he was asking questions he wasn't actually waiting for any kind of answer. Regina felt flustered by this random child that had arrived into her home and was talking to her like it was the most natural thing in the world. Before she knew it Henry felt around over her arm and stood to the side of her, placing the tablet in her lap. Everything was audio described and she turned on the text to voice programme.

"Hello Miss Regina. I love Noodle. He is the best dog ever." The automated male voice said from the tablet. Regina couldn't help but smile at that. The boy was right, he really was the best dog.

She typed into the tablet, "Thank you. I agree Henry, he is the best dog I could ever wish for."

Henry's smile became larger as he heard her answer. "How long have you had him for?" He asked verbally.

"About eight months."

"I've never had a pet before. Can we take him for a walk?" He bluntly asked. Regina froze and felt anxiety start to creep in at the thought of leaving the house." Ruby noticed her body language and intervened. "Not today buddy, I take him for walk before I go back home."

"Another time then?" He asked not realising how anxious Regina was getting at the thought of going out in public for everyone to stare and judge her.

"Another time you can come with me during the day." Ruby said and stroked Regina's fingers again.

"Henry? Ah finally there you are, I told you to wait for me." Emma said in relief and paused as she saw Regina. Regina's eyes widened and her whole body stiffened as she saw the gorgeous blonde walk in.


	7. Chapter 7

Emma felt her heart flutter with happiness as she watched her son and the big curly black dog play. She has always wanted to be able to have a dog. However none of the foster homes ever had one. Once Henry was born it was all about making enough money to meet Henry's basic needs. Emma thought to herself that as soon as they were settled into life here, they would get a dog.

"Come on bud, go to the toilet before you wet yourself." She smiled and led her son to the bathroom. After he was done she went to the bathroom herself and told him to wait in the hall. When she was finished she walked back into the hall and panicked as she couldn't see her son where she left him. Emma was disorientated by the sheer size of the mansion and she ended up looking through a few different rooms before she finally found Henry with Ruby crouched down.

"Henry? Ah finally there you are, I told you to wait for me." She paused as she saw a nervous looking woman up at her from a wheelchair. Emma put on her best smile to try and ease her nerves and walked over to the woman, "Hey there I'm Emma, I see you've met this chatterbox already. You must be Regina."

Regina looked down and gave the tablet back to Henry before rushing out of the room not even acknowledging Emma. Regina had to get out of that room as soon as she saw the stunning woman. Her heart was beating hard in her chest as she managed to get into the kitchen and her body was in so much pain.

Emma arched her eyebrow up as Regina left and gave Ruby a questioning look. Ruby gave her a apologetic smile and squeezed her shoulder. "She's not feeling to great and isn't used to visitors."

Emma nodded in understanding, "And we have just barged in unannounced into her home. Can you apologise to her for me?"

"I will do. I best go to her and see how she is." Ruby explained. "I have to say, she likes him, I can tell."

"Yeah? Well he is a pretty lovable kid." Emma smiled and ruffled his hair. "But it's time to go now kid, we need to get you ready for your first day of school tomorrow."

"Yay! I can't wait." He punched the air in excitement before giving a last hug and scratch behind the ears.

Emma shook her head in amusement, "Come on buddy, say goodbye to Ruby and we'll go." The pair hugged and Emma hugged Ruby before leaving.

Regina opened the fridge and took a cold bottle of water out and closed the door. She tried to open the bottle but it hurt so much and she couldn't break the seal. In the end she threw it on the floor in anger and let out a cry of frustration. She wanted a scotch but no one would let her keep alcohol in the house anymore. Not since the hospital admission a year ago. She wanted to drown herself in the alcohol and forget how miserable her existence was now. Before Robin, before the illness that had changed her life so dramatically for the worse, Regina would have definitely tried to flirt with Emma. But now she was a mess and disgusting she thought. Before she started to get some aches and pains, Regina was always immaculately dressed. The majority of the time she was in expensive skirt or pant suits. Her hair was never a strand out of place and her makeup perfect for any occasion. Her hair would never be long enough that it touched past her shoulders either unlike now, where it reached halfway down her back. It was currently greasy and up in a messy bun. Regina always knew she was attractive but now she felt anything but. She couldn't even remember the last time she took any care in her appearance. It was probably over a year ago, she mused.

Ruby found her with her head in her hands and tugging at her own hair in frustration. She raced over and gently pulled her hands away so she could stop hurting herself. It took a little bit of effort as Regina was putting up a fight but she soon lost the energy to.

"Shhhh Sweetie...I'm here." She cooed again and kissed her forehead as she held her hands. "Would you like a cup of tea while I do dinner?" Ruby asked and knelt in front of her.

Regina bit down on her bottom lip and shook her head in anger. She didn't want any damn tea. She gave her a weak push and made her way to the patio doors and opened them up with a struggle. Noodle had followed Regina in after Henry had left and hadn't left her side. He followed her to the door and licked at her hand once the doors were opened and kept nudging at it. She felt so angry at the world but having Noodle there wanting to give her comfort, helped slowly calm herself down. Regina struggled to stroke him because of the fatigue and pain that was now starting to crush her. It was like he sensed she was struggling so he put his head in her lap instead and kept still. Big brown eyes looked up and watched her.

Ruby was in the doorway and watched her with Noodle. Once she saw the woman was a bit calmer she went to do their dinner. She decided to warm up some soup in a mug as she could tell Regina would struggle eating after how her emotional outburst.

She warmed up some bread and buttered it then put that with a mug of nutritious soup on a tray. She walked out to the patio and placed it on the black wrought iron table with a glass cover. Regina had transferred over to one of the sun loungers so she could stretch out and be more comfortable. Ruby spoke softly about the meal she had brought her and went to fetch them both blankets. It wasn't freezing but it wasn't really warm either. Ruby gently put a few fluffy blankets over her and a cushion for her head then placed the tray onto her lap.

Ruby knew Regina preferred silence after an episode and she gave her that as they ate. Once Ruby had finished her own food and Regina had eaten most of her own, she took the tray off her lap and sat on the lounge next to her. She took her hand and held it in Regina's lap. Regina made no effort to hold her hand back, she left it limp.

"Henry is adorable, isn't he?" Ruby commented as she watched the sunset.

Regina only gave a slight nod of her head to show her agreement. She did think he was adorable and so full of life. Part of her was jealous and the other twisted part wondered how long it would take him to realise just how awful the world is. Regina wasn't happy with Ruby though. She had bought strangers into her house without telling her. A beautiful stranger with the cutest smile and the cutest child saw how disgusting she was. With a scowl she gave Ruby's hand a harsh push away. She wasn't just unhappy, she was angry with her. While whimpering quietly from the pain she transferred back into her wheelchair and used the through floor lift to go upstairs.

Ruby kept calm throughout, used to Regina's changing moods. Ruby and Noodle followed Regina up to the bedroom. Regina was exhausted and was close to tears from the mental and physical pain. She didn't want Ruby to help her get dressed but she was too tired to fight. Once she was dressed and used the bathroom, Regina got into bed and Noodle lay next to her, giving her face kisses. Ruby prepared her for the night and took her medication out of the safe. She brought up a few bottles of water and placed them on her bedside table. She watched Regina take the medication to make sure she wasn't hiding meds again. Regina lay down against her pillows and turned away from Ruby. Ruby bent over and kissed her head. "Love you Gina, I'm going to take Noodle for his walk. I'm sorry you weren't warned about the visit, but Henry really needed to pee." She apologised and left the room after no indication that she had been heard.

Regina pulled the duvet higher up to her face and made sure she heard the front door go before she burst into tears.


	8. Chapter 8

Emma's first half week of work went well. Everyone at the Sherriff's office liked her and she took to the job like a duck to water. It was a quiet town so there was very little crime and Emma was grateful to be able to bring Henry up somewhere like that.

Henry loved every second of his new school and had made lots of new friends by the end of Friday. His enthusiasm and energy made him a positive target for his peers. People wanted to be near him and everyone helped out to make sure he was fine at school. He didn't need much help and was largely independent; it was mainly to orientate him around the school.

Emma had found a small house to rent and they were going to move in at the weekend. It was ideal for them both. Only a ten minute walk to the school and work was a five minute drive from the school. The blonde had to pinch herself that this was really happening. It all seemed too good to be true, like they were in some sort of fairytale.

Ruby had the weekend off as it was Cora's weekend at the mansion, so she offered to help with the move. There wasn't exactly anything to move but she was allowed to decorate and this was the first place she had ever had where she could. The house was fully furnished as well, so that took a lot of pressure off Emma. Part of her was also relieved because if for some reason Killian ever found them she wouldn't have to take much again. She really did want to put down roots in this area, she could see Henry thriving here.

She was still getting nightmares and lived off only minimal sleep. However she could just about deal with them since Henry was so happy and settled. Emma was so preoccupied with work and Henry she barely had time to deal with the past. But she preferred it that way as she didn't want to have to deal with the abuse, low self esteem and self harming.

...

A month went by in a flash and mother and son were soon in a routine that worked. Emma worked nine to five as the deputy Sherriff. Emma would drop him off at school then go to work. He would attend the after school club until four pm and take the school bus back to Granny's and do his homework there under the watchful eyes of Ruby, Granny and the regulars. They all loved the bubbly little boy and found it refreshing to have a new energy in the town.

Likewise the town adored the new deputy Sherriff who always took the time to introduce herself to new people and say hello to others on the street. Emma enjoyed the job apart from the abundance of paperwork that needed to do at times. Most evenings Ruby came round after being at Regina's and the two adults would chat and watch tv. Half the time Emma invited her to stay over so Ruby had unofficially become Emma's roommate. They grew closer and although Emma wouldn't tell her much about her recent past, she did tell her briefly about growing up in foster care and Henry was the only family she had.

In turn Ruby told Emma stories about growing up with Regina and Kathryn once she moved to Storybrooke when she was ten. She revealed that both her parents were murdered and that was why she moved here to live with Granny. However she did not reveal more in regards to that as it was still painful to discuss most of the time. She talked about their time in Boarding school and how Granny was actually Regina's nanny until she was eight and was sent to boarding school. Granny worked part time as a nanny for Regina during holidays when she came back home. Her parents loved Granny so much they gave her a loan to start the Diner. Ruby explained that Kathryn and Regina are both 34 and Ruby is 30 but even so they took Ruby under her wing and gave her invaluable support in dealing with the trauma of losing her parents. Ruby refrained from talking about how Regina was doing now as she didn't want Regina to find out and ruin her currently fragile relationship. Regina's refusal to communicate with Ruby was extremely painful for the younger woman.

...

The same four weeks did not treat Regina with the same kindness. Her mood lowered and she refused to communicate at all with Ruby. She was unfairly taking her sadness and frustration out on her friend. Her mind kept wandering to the kindness of Henry and the beauty of Emma. This in turn made her obsess over the perceived failings in her life such as not having a child. She truly believed she would never have one now that she had missed her chance while she had been with Robin. She barely ate and looked after herself even less than before. Regina felt she had no future and was struggling to deal with her dark thoughts. Regina barely left her bed and she felt her pain increase due to the decline in her mental health.

Before Robin; Regina and Ruby had around a two year long friends with benefits arrangement. Now, Regina believed that Ruby would never ever look at her the same way again. She knew she made her sick and Ruby only stuck around because she felt sorry for her.

Kathryn, Ruby, Granny and her parents were getting more and more concerned as time went on. They were begging her to eat more but Regina ate the bare minimum. She felt like giving up again but since all her medication was locked away after her attempt a year ago, she had no access to tablets, sharps or alcohol.

...

Emma was panicking as David called in sick with a vomiting bug. He was supposed to do the twilight shift until ten pm but she was needed to cover. Ruby could look after Henry at the Diner until she had to leave for Regina's but she asked Kathryn if she could stay longer with Regina. Unfortunately she was going to a concert in the next City with her boyfriend. Granny would be working until ten as well so Emma didn't want Henry to be up that late or be left at the B & B on her own. Emma didn't want to leave Henry with anyone else and no one could cover the shift.

Ruby bit her lip before texting Regina, even though she had ignored every other text for the last months.

 **Gina, Emma is stuck and has no one to look after Henry while she covers a shift. Please can I bring him with me, he won't be any fuss and will be asleep by 9pm. I promise to not let him bother you if you want to be on your own and I won't let Emma in when she picks him up. He has missed you and Noodle though, he always asks about you both. Love you, Red.**

...

Regina was in the living room with Kathryn as she received the text. Anxiety rose in her chest at the thought of people coming into the house. She gave the phone to Kathryn so she could read it.

"Yeah Red asked me to stay on tonight which I would have but I have that concert tonight." Kathryn explained softly and gave her phone back to the woman. Kathryn slowly rubbed her arm as she noticed the anxiety.

"You don't have to if you don't want to, Gina."

Regina looked down at the message again and re read it a few more times.

Henry was a sweet boy and Noodle absolutely adored him. Maybe his enthusiasm would help me feel something other than pain for once. I have nothing to lose, I can't feel any worse.

She felt a slight flutter in her stomach at the thought of seeing Emma again. She knew she would only be making herself feel worse after but part of her did want to see Emma.

...

 **Okay. He can come with you. She can come in to collect him if she wants.**

Ruby sighed in relief once she received that text, knowing just how stressed Emma was getting over this and immediately rang the blonde.

"Hi Red."

"Hey Emma, it's all sorted. Gina has agreed I can bring him with me tonight."

"Oh thank you so much Red. You have no idea how much of a relief that is. Please thank her a million times for me."

Ruby chuckled at that, "I will do. I have to say though I'm pretty surprised but I'm glad."

"Well I'm extremely grateful for her. I will pick you and him up just after ten."

"Okay babe, I hope the rest of your shift goes well. And you better remember to eat."

"I will mum." She laughed and shook her head. "See you tonight."

Emma hung up and let out a long, relieved sigh.

...

Regina touched her hair and realised just how greasy it was. Bringing her tee shirt up to her nose, she winced as she noticed how bad she was smelling as well. She took her phone and wrote on it.

"When have I last had a bath?" The last few weeks had merged and had no real sense of time.

"It has been two weeks." Kathryn told her gently not wanting to do anything to put her off getting a wash.

"Really?" she typed in shock. "Well Henry is coming round with Ruby. I should probably have a bath."

"I will get it running right away. Lavender and Epsom salts?" Kathryn asked as she stood up and put the wheelchair next to Regina.

Regina nodded before slowly and carefully getting into her wheelchair. Regina was feeling weaker than usual since she had barely been doing any physio exercises.

"Did you decide to let Ruby bring Henry?" Kathryn asked and Regina gave a nod. "Good, I know from Frederick, who is his PE teacher, that he talks about you and Noodle a lot."

Regina looked at her in astonishment. "Yup. He thinks Noodle is the best animal on the planet and he wants to help you to be happy." Kathryn revealed with a warm smile.

Regina didn't know what to think about that new piece of information so she wheeled herself to the lift and made her way to the bathroom. The blonde however did notice the very faint hint of a smile before Regina turned away.


	9. Chapter 9

Ruby and Henry took a walk on the beach and had a paddle before making their way over to Regina's house. He was beyond excited to visit them and show Regina his stories and drawings of Noodle.

"Do you think she will like them?" He asked Ruby as they made their way down the street.

"I know she is going to love them. But I need you to remember Henry, she may not be up to spending time with you and I need you to be on your best behaviour okay?" Ruby explained with a gentle voice.

"I understand Red. I have stuff to do if she doesn't want company." Henry said with a warm smile that charmed the socks off everyone.

"You're pretty amazing, Hen." Ruby said with a grin and Henry smiled and gave his shoulders a shrug.

...

"That's weird, Kat's car is still here." Ruby said to herself out loud.

"Yay! I can't wait to meet your other friend too." He squealed and pushed Ruby along the driveway so they could speed up.

Ruby smiled and went a bit faster for him. She opened the door and let them both in to find Noodle sat in the middle of the foyer waiting for her arrival. As soon as he saw Henry though, his tail wagged even faster and let out an excited bark.

"Noodle!" Henry squealed and ran in his direction. The black and furry blur met him in the middle and they embraced like long lost friends.

Kathryn walked out of the living room and grinned at the young boy she had not met yet and Noodle. "And I thought Noodle loved me the most." She said quietly with a smirk to Ruby.

Ruby smiled back and shook her head, "We've all been replaced." Ruby walked up to Kathryn and hugged her. "I feel like it's been forever since we've been face to face. How are you doing?"

"I am doing well and how are you?" She asked, pulling away to cup her face.

"Yeah...up and down you know?" she whispered and gave Kathryn a sad smile. They had spoken on the phone a few times about their worries for Regina and at her blanking of Ruby.

Kathryn nodded in understanding and kissed her forehead. "I think you will be pleasantly surprised, Red." Kathryn gave her a slight smirk but didn't expand further.

Ruby gave her a confused glance but didn't push. "Why are you still here by the way?"

"Regina asked me to run a few errands so I had to make a few phone calls and get things sorted for Henry's visit."

"Like what?"

"You'll see." She smirked and gave her cheek a kiss. "I'm going to have to go." Kathryn walked up to Henry and Noodle who were cuddling and kissing each other. "Hi Henry, I'm Kathryn but you can call me Kat if you like?"She introduced herself and put a hand on his shoulder.

Henry gave her a grin and stood up, putting his hand out to her. "It's very nice to meet you Kat.

Kathryn smiled at his manners, "I have to go now but I've heard so many good things about you from Mr Midas."

"You have?"

"Oh I have. He tells me you are a model student and you've settled in fantastically well."

Henry beamed with pride and his chest puffed out a tad. "I love school and Mr Midas is one of my favourite teachers after Miss Blanchard."

"Well I know he will love to hear that. Now, Henry I want to make sure you know to be physically gentle with Regina. She is in a lot of pain all the time."

Henry looked at her with a serious expression. "I understand Kat. I promise to be gentle and if I know she is getting too tired I have lots of things to keep myself busy."

Kathryn smiled up at him and gave his shoulder a squeeze. "I'm leaving her in safe hands then. You have a good night and I hope to see you soon, Regina is in the living room."

The blonde gave Ruby another hug and Ruby made her promise to ring her after the date with all the sordid details.

"Can we go see Regina now?" Henry asked Ruby while he scratched behind Noodle's ear.

"Let's go."

...

Regina had a bath and was allowed some extra painkillers to help her get through the day. While Kathryn dried her off she looked in the mirror and saw how pale and gaunt her face was. There were dark bags under her eyes and had a few spots. She shook her head and got Kathryn's attention. She made a sign with her hand that imitated putting make up on.

"You want me to do your make up?" Kathryn asked trying to hide her shock by keeping her face still.

Regina looked down shyly and nodded. It had been quite some time since she last wore make up. Regina didn't want to look scary for Henry, not that he would be using the magnifier on her face. She wouldn't admit to herself that she didn't want to look awful for Emma if she came in.

Once she was dressed and Kathryn had put some light make up on Regina text her mother, who was in the city working, to get one of her assistants to buy and bring over a few board games and cards that were designed for visually impaired people.

She got Kathryn to go to the store to buy some snacks for him and craft stuff. She didn't want Henry bored and it was nice for Regina to focus on a task. Kathryn gladly did all that for her as it was a change from how the last month had gone.

...

The games were brought round not long before Henry was due since they came all the way from the city. Kathryn had put out snacks in the living room and with Regina helping they put out a load of art supplies out on the large marble table.

"You look beautiful by the way, Gina." Kathryn told her with a warm smile. It wasn't just that she was wearing make up but because her oldest friend for a few hours was almost like how she had used to be. This was the woman who had such drive and passion for her work, her hobbies and her friends. This was the woman who would do absolutely anything for her loved ones and made Kathryn laugh like no other. She thought she was never see glimpses of her again and it caused a lump in her throat.

Regina looked away and wheeled herself over to the table to straighten the art supplies up, not wanting to acknowledge that compliment. Before Kathryn could say anything else she could hear the front door opening.

"I will see you tomorrow Gina, have fun." Kathryn walked over and kissed the top of her head before leaving the room.

...

Regina smiled as she saw Henry walk in with Noodle glued to his side. Henry was using his cane to navigate himself into the room.

"Hello Henry." Regina typed onto the tablet using similar software to Henry's.

Henry's head turned toward the computerised voice, "Regina, hi!" He made his way over and apologised for knocking her footrests with her cane.

"It's quite alright."

Henry made his way to her side again and took his backpack off to pull out his folder. "I did these for you." Henry gave a folder full of drawings and stories about Noodle and herself going on magical adventures.

"You did these for me?" The computerised voice couldn't put across the shock.

"Yeah, they are kind of like fairytales where you and Noodle go off and meet other fairytale characters and have adventures together." Henry grinned at Regina.

Regina felt a lump in her throat and tears start to form in her eyes. She wiped at her eyes and carefully closed the folder. "I will read through them tonight. Thank you so much Henry, your pictures are beautiful." She was honestly impressed by the talent he had for his age.

"No rush." Henry smiled and gave a shrug.

"I didn't know you were such an amazing artist but I am glad I bought all these art supplies for you now." She typed and gently ran her fingers through his shaggy brown hair. "Follow me and I will lead you to the table where everything is."

"Awesome!" He said with a grin and held on to Regina's arm as she led them to the table.

Ruby kept her distance as the pair met again. She also needed that time to get over the shock of Regina wearing make up seeing her with some life back in her eyes. As she watched the pair go through all the supplies on the table, she went to get them all some drinks. Ruby saw the spread of food on the kitchen table and it reminded her of the sleepovers they used to have at the mansion during the holidays. Regina and Kathryn would always make sure they had all of her favourites there even the items the two older girls didn't like.

Ruby had to stop herself from crying as she saw the pickled gherkins and beetroot in bowls. Regina hated them but she always got the best stuff for Ruby. Maybe the former Mayor was starting to forgive her.

...

The trio spent the majority of the evening making art in various forms. Regina was in awe of Henry's talent. Regina had to get on the couch after an hour as she was exhausted. She had a nap as Henry and Ruby a plate full of food. Once they were done, Henry took a pad and some crayons and sat next to Regina after she woke up. He told her all about his week at school and the most interesting things he had learnt. Around half eight he was getting tired. Regina had bought and downloaded some cartoons that were audio described. They sat and watched a couple before Henry fell asleep with his head on her lap.

Regina looked down at the young boy whose hair she had been slowly stroking as he fallen asleep. He had encouraged it while half asleep, moving her hand to his hair. A small but sad smile graced her face as he watched him sleep and wondered what it would have been like to have a child of her own.

Ruby was on the other side of Regina and chanced her luck by attempting to put her arm over Regina's shoulders. This time Regina didn't push her off. In fact she leant a little into Ruby and gave her cheek a kiss. "Thank you." She typed on her phone and showed Ruby.

Ruby looked at her in shock at the kiss and whispered, "What are you thanking me for?"

"For not leaving me. I know you must hate me and I've ruined your lives but I can't do this without you and Kat. I love you both so much." A few tears fell as she wrote out the message.

Ruby shook her head as she read her message. Ruby cupped her chin and made Regina look at her, "We both love you more than anything and no you haven't ruined our lives. We are grateful to have such an amazing, beautiful, caring person in our lives, Gina. We would do anything for you as I know you would do the same for us. I wish I could take the pain away both in your body and in your mind."

She looked at her lovingly while stroking her cheek with the back of her fingers. Ruby placed a soft, tender kiss to her lips. "I don't know what I would do without you Gina. You saved me, growing up, you and Kat." The kiss was platonic but it reminded Regina of the years they had fun, sexually together. They weren't compatible as romantic life partners but they sure as hell clicked sexually back in the day. But as she remembered, that was a lifetime ago.

Tears were streaming down both of their faces before Regina went back to stroking Henry's hair and leant against Ruby as she held her.

They both were startled by a knock on the front door. Ruby checked the time after wiping her face, "That should be Emma. Shall I carry Henry out or would you like to meet her properly?"

Regina wiped at her eyes with her sleeves before taking a deep breath and nodded. Regina made a come hither motion with her hand to indicate Emma could come in.

Ruby smiled and kissed her cheek, "I know you will love Emma once you get to know her." Ruby left the pair and Noodle followed Ruby, curious to see who it was knocking at the door.


End file.
